XN000022-1990-03-01 — Page 8

THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 1990

"WHY SHOULD IT BE WHEN THE FOR THE OMELCO CONSENSUS HAS ADOPTED?"

COMMUNITY'S

OVERWHELMING SUPPORT

NOT EVEN BEEN DISCUSSED, LET ALONE

MR CHEUNG CATEGORICALLY DENIED THAT HONG KONG HAD BEEN PLAYING A NUMBERS GAME.

HE SAID: "EVEN IF IT WAS SO, THEY ARE NOT TO BLAME BECAUSE BY 2003, BETWEEN THE TWO MODELS THERE IS A DIFFERENCE OF 30 DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS IN THE LEGISLATURE, AND 30 IS CERTAINLY A LARGE NUMBER.

F

REFUTING THE ALLEGATION THAT THE OMELCO CONSENSUS WAS BRITISH, HE SAID: "THE PAINSTAKING EFFORTS ON THE PART OF OMELCO MEMBERS TO STRIVE TO REACH A CONSENSUS AMIDST TWO POLARISED CONCEPTIONS OF DEMOCRATISATION AND TO STICK TO THE SAME MODEL AFTER WHAT HAS HAPPENED ON JUNE 4, 1989 SHOW THAT WE, AS RESPONSIBLE OMELCO HAVE TAKEN THE ENTIRE SITUATION INTO CAREFUL CONSIDERATION, THE POLITICAL SENSITIVITY OF THE CHINESE LEADERS.'

MEMBERS, INCLUDING

MR CHEUNG DISMISSED AS TOTALLY UNNECESSARY THE MOVE ΤΟ BRUSH ASIDE THE OMELCO CONSENSUS SIMPLY BECAUSE OF FACE AND ΤΟ PROVE WHO WAS HONG KONG'S SOVEREIGN MASTER.

"IT WOULD ONLY DISCOURAGE HONG KONG PEOPLE FROM EXPRESSING THEIR VIEWS, KNOWING THAT CHINA HAS NO DESIRE то HEED THEIR CRIES. THIS WILL FURTHER ERODE CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG, HE SAID.

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TO

ALTHOUGH THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WERE COMPELLED BY REALITY LIVE WITH THE PROPOSED MODEL FOR THE TIME BEING, THEIR PRAGMATISM SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED, MR CHEUNG SAID.

"THE FIRE OF OUR ASPIRATIONS FOR A MORE DEMOCRATIC STRUCTURE WILL CONTINUE TO KINDLE AND SPARK.

POLITICAL

HE URGED THE COMMUNITY TO FACE UP TO THE CHALLENGES OF THE ACID TEST IN THE 1991 ELECTION BY VOTING FOR THOSE WHO COULD BEST REPRESENT THEIR INTERESTS, AND то PROVE ΤΟ THOSE WHO WERE LESS DEMOCRATICALLY MINDED THAT DEMOCRACY WAS NOT AN EVIL TO BE STIFLED AT ALL COSTS.

"ONLY THROUGH ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT OF OURSELVES IN THE ELECTION OF OUR REPRESENTATIVES WILL WE, IN TIME, BE THE MASTERS OF OUR OWN DESTINY, MR CHEUNG CONCLUDED.

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